Multicolor proof press



N 3; 1942. E. o. VANDERCOOK ET AL 2,300,715'

muLTIcoL'oR PROOF PRESS FiledMay. 26,. 1941 s Sheets-Shed 1 mVEIfiZAIPECow/Leo O. l Awosecooz. 0/; we 0. Wnvoaeeooz.

Nov. 3, 1942. i E. o. VANDERCOOK ETAL 2,300,715

I MULTICOLOR PROOF PRESS Filed May 26, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zrz YE m 2:F" 5 E0 wn eo 0. Men/054900641. 04 v10 0. Vnuasecooxr.

Nov. 3,1942. E. o. VANDERCOOK ETAL 2,300,715

.MULTICOLOR PROOF PRESS Filed May 26 1941 a Shee ts-Sheet s m9 4 .2 vg a5 mm O 19 Y. Z R. {N w mm b Y Q WWW wu MS .2 mm 3 w wum aw Patented Nov.3., 1942 MULTICOLOR PROOF PRESS Edward 0. Vandercook and David D.Vandercook, Evanston, Ill'., assignors to Vandercook & Sons, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 26, 1941, Serial N0.395,124

3 Claims.

This invention relates to multi-color proof presses of the type in whichan impression cylinder consecutively engages with a number of formsinked with different color ink for-impression on a sheet carried by thecylinder. In general, the object of the invention is to provide improvedand more practical and eflicient arrangement and operation for inkingthe various forms.

In prior multi-color proof presses, the forms or plates are inked in onedirection and printed in a direction at right angles to that in whichthey are inked, this of itself failing to produce the most desired andefiicient results. In'such prior presses the different color inkingunits are simultaneously moved crosswise of the press bed forsimultaneous inking of the forms and consequently there are differentlapses of time between the inking of the forms or plates and theengagement thereof by the impression cylinder and during such timelapses the ink on the forms may change its characteristics so thatefli'cient and uniform proof printing cannot be accomplished.

The important object of the invention is therefore to eliminate theobjectionable features of inking and printing at right angles to eachother and the resultant delay between inking and printing. In accordancewith our invention the arrangement and operation is such that differentcolor inking units will move together with the cylinder and will beselectively applied to the corresponding plates for inking of each platesubstantially immediately before the plate is engaged by the impressioncylinder. In other words", the arrangement and operation is such thatthe plates will be consecutively engaged by the impression cylinder buteach plate will not be inked until the impression cylinder is about toengage therewith so that inking of a plate will be immediately followedby printing therefrom.

The various features of the invention are embodied in the structureshown on the drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1- is a side elevation of one end of a press bed structureshowing the impression cylinder assembly and the inking unit assemblyassociated therewith;

Figure 2 is a section on plane II-II Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the press-bed showing the arrangement of thecontrolling rails for the inking units;

Figure 4 is a section on plane IV- IV Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on plane VV Figure 2.

On the press shown, A represents the bed plate structure. The impressioncylinder assembly comprises the frame H], in which is journaled theimpression cylinder structure ll having the gears 12 at its oppositeends for engagement with the racks I3 on the bed plate, the frame Ill atits opposite ends carrying supporting rollers H! for engaging in thetrack channels I5 at the opposite sides of the bed plate structure. Thecylinder structure may be power driven, or, as shown, may be manuallydriven by means of a crank l6 for travel over the press bed in a mannerwell understood in the art.-' From a feed table I! mounted on the pressbed sheets to be printed may be fed to the cylinder tobe secured theretoby suitable clamping means (not shown).

An assembly of inking units is supported from the impression cylindercarriage ID for travel with the carriage over the press bed in advanceof the impression, cylinder. sidewalls l8 are secured at their innerends'to the opposite-ends of the cylinder carriage ID, as by bolts l9,these sidewalls at their forward ends mounting rollers or wheels 20engaging the bed plate to assist in supporting the inking assembly. Inaccordance with our invention, any number of inking units may beprovided depending upon the 'number of colors to be printed. On thedrawings two inking units are shown. The inking controlling rollers ofeach unit extend transversely of the press bed parallel withthe'impre'ssion cylinder and in advance thereof for inking of a plate onthe bed at a predetermined time. The two inking units shown aredesignated No. 1 and No. 2.

The inking roller arrangement and control thereof is the same for eachinking unit. Each unit is mounted between vertical walls or bars 2| and22 extending upwardly from the opposite sidewalls l8. Inwardly of theside bars 2| and 22 of each unit are side plates 23 and 24 from whichthe various inking rollers are supported. These plates at their lowerends have guide bars 25 secured thereto for dovetail connection withguide bars 26 on the sidewalls l8 so that the side plates are mountedand guided for vertical shift. Secured against the inner sides of theplates 23 and 24 at the lower ends thereof are lift plates 21 and 28respectively (Figures 1 and 5), these lift plates at their upper outercorners having recesses 29 and 30 respectively. These recesses receivethe opposite ends of rods 3| and 32 which inwardly of their ends extendthrough and are secured to bars 33 and 34. These bars are of inverted Ushape (Figure 5), each bar receiving and spanning a bearing block 35 forthe shafts 36 and 31 of a pair of form rollers 38 and 39. Figure 5 showsone manner of supporting and adjusting the bearing blocks. Screws 40extending through the bar have threaded engagement with the bearingblock for effecting vertical adjustment of the bearing block in the bar,and after adjustment, a set screw .4| in the bar engages the bearingblock to hold the adjustment.

Extending between and journaled at its ends in the lift plates 21 and 28on the sidewalls 23 and 24 is a shaft 42 on which are the track rollers43 and 44. The track rollers 43 and 44 for the unit No. 2 (Figure 2)travel on rails 45 and 46 on the press bed and extending along the sidesthereof The track rollers 43 and 44 for the unit No. 1 travel on rails41 and 48 on the press bed. As will be pointed out more in detail later,these rails are of different heights at different points along the pressbed so that the engagement of the track rollers of a unit with the railswill effect vertical movement of the side plates 23 and 24 for raisingof the corresponding form rollers and holding them a distance above theprinting plane to prevent inking of a form at such time.

Above the form rollers for each unit is a vibrator or ink spreading roll49 which is journaled on a shaft 58 extending between the bars 5| and 52which are supported on shafts 53 and 54 journaled at their ends inbearings 55 and 56 on the side plates 23 and 24. These shafts 53 and 54support idler rollers 51 and 58 which engage respectively with the formrollers 38 and 39.

Above each vibrator roll is a rider roll 59 journaled in bearings 68 and6| in the side plates 23 and 24, and above the rider roll is an ink drum62 for applying ink to the rider roll. The shaft 63 of the ink drum isjournaled in bearing boxes 64 and 65 confined for vertical movement inslots 66 and 61 in the side bars 2| and 22 respectively of each unit. Atthe outer end of the shaft 63 for each unit is a driving gear 88. Thesedriving gears 68 for the ink drums are engaged by a driving pinion 69 onthe shaft 18 extending from one end of a train of reduction gearingwithin a housing 1| mounted on a bracket 12 secured to the side bar 22.From this bracket is suspended at driving motor 13 connected by adriving belt 14 with the other shaft 15 of the reduction gearing.

Extending between the upper'ends of the side bars 2| and 22 is a shaft16 having arms 11 connected with links 18 through which the ends of theink drum shaft 63 extend, the links at their lower ends being secured tothe upper 'ends of the side plates 23 and 24 respectively. The shaft 16is provided with a crank 19 and upon turning of the shaft the sideplates 23 and 24 with the various roll mechanisms mounted thereon willbe raised, the upper ends of the side plates 23 and 24 abutting thejournal boxes 64 and 65 for the shaft 63 so that this shaft will also beraised, this manual raising of the ink roller assembly being usually forthe purpose of inspection or cleaning or repairs.

On Figures 3 and 4, the arrangement of the tracks 45, 46 and 41, 48 isclearly shown. On Figure 3 are shown forms Fl and F2 which are to beinked by the respective units No. 1 and No, 2, and on Figure 4 are shownin dotted lines the various positions of the impression cylinder II andthe track wheels 43 and 44 and their cooperation with the rails. Theinking unit No.

and inking unit No. 2 will ink the form F2. Figure 1 shows theimpression cylinder and inking assembly at the left end of the machineready for a printing operation. The low portions of the rails 41 and 48engaged by the track rollers 43 and 44 of unit No. 1 are of a height sothat the form rollers 38 and 39 of unit No. 1 will have inkingengagement with the form Fl when the printing cylinder travels towardthe right, the cylinder then carrying the sheet to be printed across theform Fl in the wake of the form rolls for an impression on the sheetfrom the form Fl with the color for which inking unit No. 1 has beeninked. During such impression from the form Fl', the track rollers 43and 44 for inking unit No. 2 will ride along the high portions h of therails 45 and 46 so that the printing rolls of 1 will ink form Fl unitNo. 2 will be prevented from inking engagement with the form Fl. Afterinking of form Fl by unit No 1 its rollers will engage the high portionsit of rails 41 and 48, so that the unit No. 1 will be raised to preventinking engagement thereof with the form F2. When the track rollers 43and 44 of unit No. 2 have traveled beyond the form Fl on the highportion of the rails 45 and 46, the rollers will drop down to the lowerportions of the rails for engagement of the form rollers of inking unitNo. 2 with the form F2 for inking thereof by the colored ink on unit No.2 and the impression cylinder follows and makes the impression from theform F2.

In the operation of the proof press the ink drums 62 are effective'onlyat the ends of the printing strokes of the press for applying ink to therider rolls 59, and during the printing operation between inkings by theink drums, the form rollers are positively driven. As shown on Figure 2,each form roller has agear at one end engageable with the rack 8| on thepress bed. Suitable clutch means 82 is provided for connecting the gearswith the form roller shafts and suitable means, not shown, are usuallyprovided for unclutching the gears 88 from the form roller shafts duringthe periods when the ink drums are effective to apply ink to the formrollers through the intervening roll members.

The means for rendering the ink drums 62 ineffective comprises raisebars 83 at the opposite sides of the inking assembly, these bars beingguided at their lower ends by the sidewalls l8 and at their upper endsby cross guides 84 extending between the side bars 2| and 22. The bars83 at their upper ends terminate in cross bars 85 below the journalboxes 64 and.65 for the ink drums 62 of the inking units. The bars 83 attheir lower ends have rollers 86 engageable with the press bed, and atthe ends of the travels of the impression cylinder carriage, theserollers 86 engage in depressions 81 in the press bed for lowering of thebars to permit downward movement of the ink drum journal boxes forinking engagement of the ink drums with the rider rolls 59 for inking ofthe form rollers, the driving gears for the form rollers being at suchtimes unclutched from the form rollers. As soon as the printing drum andinking assembly starts its movement from one end of the bed to theother, the rollers 86 will travel out of the depressions 81 and-theraise bars 83 will be raised to lift the inking drums into noninkingposition and the clutches 82 will be rendered efiective for clutching ofthe gears 88 to the form rollers which will then be positively driven,and the train of inking rolls above the form rolls will be frictionallydriven for spreade ing and applying ink to the form rolls. When the2,300,715 printing and. inking assembly reaches the end of the bed theform roll gears 80 will again be unclutched and the ink drums will belowered for application of ink to the ink roll train for inking of theform rolls.

When the rollers 43, 44 of an inking unit travel from the low portion oftheir supporting rails to the higher portion thereof, the correspondingside plates 23 and 24 with all of the inking roll mechanism mountedthereon will be raised. Figure 1:

7 shows inking unit No. 2 held raised by engagement of its rollers 43,44 with high track, while the rollers of unit N o. 1 are on low track.

We have thus produced a more compact, more practical and efficientarrangement and operation for inking forms on multi-color proof presses.The inking units are compactly assembled in front of the impressioncylinder carriage in tandem, with the inking rolls extendingtransversely of the press bed, the inking units progressively engagingwith the respective forms to be inked thereby with the least lapse oftime between inking of a form by the respective inking unit and theimpression engagement of the impression cylinder with that form. Inother words, inking is in the same direction as printing and with aminimum lapse of time between inking and printing of a form.

We have shown a practical and efiicient embodiment of the features ofour invention but we do not desire to be limited to the exactconstruction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changesand modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a multi-color proof press of the reciprocating type, an impressioncylinder and a carriage therefor reciprocable over the press bed forsuccessively impressing a sheet supported on the cylinder against formson the press bed, supporting walls extending forwardly from the oppositesides of said carriage, an individual inking unit for each form, eachunit comprising opposed upwardly extending supporting bars on saidsupporting walls, opposed supporting plates mounted on said supportingwalls for vertical movement thereon, form rollers journaled by saidplates at the lower end thereof, inking rolls above said form rollersjournaled by said plates, an ink drum for said inking rolls journaled insaid supporting bar's, track rollers at the lower ends of said plates,tracks on said press bed for the rollers of each unit and having highportions for holding said units above the inking plane and depressedportions for holding said units in the inking plane for inking by theunits of the respective forms as said carriage reciprocates over thepress bed, a common raising means for the ink drums of the units andmeans whereby said raising means is effective during reciprocation ofthe carriage over the forms to hold the ink drums disengaged from theinking rolls of the respective units and to efiect engagement of thedrums with the inking rolls only at the ends of carriage reciprocation.

2. In a multi-color proof press of the reciprocating type, an impressioncylinder and ,a carriage therefor reciprocable over the press bed forsuccessively impressing a sheet supported on the cylinder against formson the press bed, supporting walls extending forwardly from the oppositesides of said carriage, an individual inking unit for each form, eachunit comprising opposed upwardly extending porting walls, opposedsupporting plates mounted on said supporting walls for vertical movementthereon, form rollers journaled by said plates at the lower end thereof,inking rolls above said form rollers j ournaled by said plates, an inkdrum for said inking rolls journaled in said supporting bars, trackrollers at the lower ends of said plates, tracks on said press bed forthe rollers of each unit and having high portions for holding said unitsabove the inking plane and depressed portions for holding said units inthe inking plane for inking by the units of the respective forms as saidcarriage reciprocates over the press bed, a common raising structure forthe ink drums of said units having rollers for engagement with the pressbed during reciprocation of the carriage to hold said drums disengagedfrom the inking rolls of the respective units, said press bed havingdepressions at its ends for receiving said rollers to permit said inkdrums to engage with the inking rolls for inking thereof.

3. In a multi-color proof press of the reciprocating type, an impressioncylinder and a carriage therefor reciprocable over the press bed forsuccessively impressing a sheet supported on the cylinder against formson the press bed, supporting walls extending forwardly from the oppositesides of said carriage, an individual inking unit for each form, eachunit comprising opposed upwardly extending supporting bars on saidsupporting walls, opposed supporting plates mounted on said supportingwalls for vertical movement thereon, form rollers journaled by saidplates at the lower end thereof, inking rollers above said form rollersjournaled by said plates, an ink drum for said inking rolls journaled insaid supporting bars, track rollers at the lower ends of said plates,tracks on said press bed for the rollers of each unit and having highportions for holding said units above the inking plane and depressedportions for holding said units in the inking plane for inking by theunits of the respective forms as said carriage reciprocates over thepress bed, a common driving means for the ink drums of the units, meansrendering said ink drums effective only at the ends of carriagereciprocation for driving engagement with the inking rolls and inking ofthe form rollers, means for simultaneously holding said ink drumselevated out of engagement with the inking rolls during reciprocation ofthe carriage for engagement of the form rollers with the forms, andmeans for directly driving said form rollers during such reciprocationof the carriage.

EDWARD O. VANDERCOOK. DAVID D. VANDERCOOK.

supporting bars on said sup-

